A very early look ahead to 2016

Even if Mitt Romney wins, both parties could have primaries in 2016.

I was thinking about the 2016 Presidential Election recently. That’s right, 2016.

I’ve seen several stories that have mentioned the possibility of Hillary Clinton or (hold the laughter) Joe Biden running in 2016. Here’s a question: If Barack Obama loses, which I think seems likely, will he run again in 2016? If so, we could see a repeat of the 2008 election.

This scenario also led me to think about Mitt Romney’s chances in 2016 if he should win in 2012. I’m not referring to the General Election, but rather the primary. Romney will be the Republican nominee in 2012, but if he becomes president, is it a foregone conclusion that he would win in 2016? I don’t think so. » read more

There should be only one Presidential candidate for the Tea Party

For Tea Party members, Ron Paul should be the only choice.

There has been a lot of talk about the Tea Party, and what effect its members will have on the Presidential race. So far, it has been much ado about nothing.

All of the candidates have attempted to court the Tea Party to some extent, but it should be a wasted of time, since only one candidate represents the group’s alleged philosophy. If you support a balanced budget, then how can you vote for someone who voted to raise the debt ceiling several times, and is a big spender? Santorum is bad, but Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are no better.

If one of them is elected President, I have no doubt they will spend less than Barack Obama. Unfortunately, the cuts proposed by them are miniscule, and would do little to reduce the deficit, let alone the National Debt. If you don’t believe me, check out the size of the deficit, then read their plans. Are they really going to right America’s ship?
» read more

A brokered GOP convention is a real possibility

Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Ron Paul at a Republican debate.

The GOP nomination is still very much up for grabs, and its fluidity seems to change the frontrunners on a monthly basis. While Mitt Romney is usually considered the favorite, it appears that a sizable majority of Republicans are looking for anyone but Romney. The pattern is to elevate a monthly favorite, then watch them collapse once the media picks them apart. To date, this has been the pattern for Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum.

With more than half the original field gone, and several primaries behind us, it looks like Romney is in real trouble. As other candidates have dropped out, there are fewer choices for their supporters, increasing each piece of the electoral pie for the remaining candidates.

» read more

Rick Santorum’s foreign car

Rick Santorum wants people to support American manufacturers, yet he drove an Audi. Santorum is catching some criticism for that decision, but I think it’s unfounded. After all the taxpayer-funded giveaways the auto industry received, they don’t deserve any special consideration.

Megadeth lead singer Dave Mustaine endorses Rick Santorum

Dave Mustaine, of the thrash metal band Megadeth, announces his support for Rick Santorum.

Megadeth lead singer and guitarist Dave Mustaine has announced his support for Republican Rick Santorum. According to Mustaine, “I think Santorum has some presidential qualities, and I’m hoping that if it does come down to it, we’ll see a Republican in the White House… and that it’s Rick Santorum.”

I do agree that Santorum is a better choice than Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich, who Mustaine referred to as “an angry little man.” Of course, being the better candidate doesn’t mean much when you’re being compared to Romney or Gingrich. You’d have to be pretty bad to be worse.
» read more

Newt? Are you still there?

After winning the North Carolina primary, Newt Gingrich implored fellow candidate Rick Santorum to drop out of the race and throw his support behind him. The thinking was that their supporters are both anti-Romney, and would form a coalition to defeat the former Massachusetts Governor, who reminds this blogger of an exceptionally smarmy used car salesman.

The idea made sense then, and still does. The only problem, for Gingrich at least, is that Rick Santorum has pulled ahead in the polls, and is now ahead of Mitt Romney.
» read more

Donald Trump’s endorsement: Who cares?

Donald Trump with his wife, Melania Knauss Trump

Today, Donald Trump announced that he will be endorsing Mitt Romney for President. Some were surprised that Trump didn’t choose Gingrich, and right up until the announcement, there was suspense over what he would announce. For the life of me, I can’t understand why anyone would care who Trump endorsed.

Donald Trump is little more than a reality star. Does anyone care what the cast members of Survivor, Big Brother, or American Idol think about the election?
» read more

Mitt Romney’s comment concerning the poor was on the mark

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney

“I’m in this race because I care about Americans. I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I’ll fix it. I’m not concerned about the very rich, they’re doing just fine. I’m concerned about the very heart of America, the 90, 95 percent of Americans who right now are struggling, and I’ll continue to take that message across the nation.”

I’m not a Mitt Romney supporter, but I can’t believe anyone with common sense would be bothered by this comment. Sure, progressive Democrats are going to seize upon it, but the last time I checked, they lacked any semblance of common sense. Let’s take a look at what Romney was saying, shall we?

First, the wealthy don’t need any help. They have all the money they need. That’s simple enough. As for the poor, that’s going to take some explaining, especially for those who are accustomed to government sponsored hand-outs.

If you’re poor, you’re eligible for welfare payments, subsidized rent, childcare, heat, utilities, food stamps, free college, free healthcare, and lots of other breaks. These programs are all established at the state or federal level, and are (overly) generous. How many more handouts and programs should be created for those who have a track record of bad decisions? We have a safety net, and Romney said he would fix it if need be.
» read more

Mitt Romney won Florida, not the country

Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich Debate

Mitt Romney has won the Florida Primary by a wide margin over Newt Gingrich, but the race for the Republican nomination is far from over.

The media has been portraying each win or loss as a make or break moment, but the truth is that four states have voted, and 46 remain. Florida Senator Marco Rubio seems to think that the winner of Florida will win the nomination, but I’m not so sure. If Newt Gingrich can pick up some wins, along with some strong second place finishes in states which assign delegates proportionally, we might be looking at a nominating convention that is very much up in the air. Is it likely that Republicans are heading toward a brokered convention? No. Is it possible? You bet!
» read more

Memo to Republican Candidates: You are no Ronald Reagan

Over the last few years, we’ve seen more and more candidates invoke the memory of President Ronald Reagan. I don’t blame them for admiring Reagan’s accomplishments, but I do often question their sincerity. Are these candidates simply sharing thoughts about their fondness for Reagan, or is it solely a transparent method of trying to ride the coattails of a man they may not really identify with?

This has been going on a while, but it has been Newt Gingrich’s frequent mentions of Reagan during debates that have annoyed me. To hear Gingrich tell it, he and Reagan were rather close, and shared credit for some of the accomplishments of the Reagan Presidency.

» read more

The Republican rollercoaster continues

The Republican Presidential candidates after a debate. Who will be the next media darling?

Once the field of Republican Presidential candidates began to settle, Mitt Romney was anointed as the front-runner and favorite. While he has consistently led the field with support of 20% to 25% in most polls, that means there are 75% to 80% who are supporting someone else. There’s a desire to find the anti-Romney, but so far, none has been able to pull away.

This past summer, Michele Bachmann seemed to quickly gain headlines and support. Of course, this ended when Rick Perry entered the fray and instantly rocketed to the top of the field. Since then, Perry has shown that he’s ill-prepared for the national spotlight. After some strong debate performances, Herman Cain vaulted into the top-tier, but he’s seen his support erode a bit since sexual harassment accusations have come to light. » read more

Michele Bachman’s poll results in Iowa aren’t ‘shocking’

Michele Bachmann's campaign is starting to gain momentum.

I found an article on the Drudge Report, with the headline “Shock Poll: Bachmann Tied With Romney in Iowa.” I don’t know what’s so shocking about that. Romney is a plastic candidate who always seems willing to say what people want to hear. The reason why he had such a commanding lead in the polls was due to the popularity of his highly unsuccessful 2008 campaign.

Let’s remember that a lot of people still aren’t paying much attention to the 2012 Presidential Race, so they probably haven’t tuned in to find out much about the candidates. Once people hear more about candidates like Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Ron Paul, and Tim Pawlenty, voters will begin to peel away from the familiar name (Mitt Romney). » read more

Michele Bachmann supports limited government…sometimes

Presidential Candidate Michele Bachman

If Michele Bachman were to win the Republican nomination, I would definitely vote for her rather than Barack Obama. With that said, I hope Bachmann doesn’t win the nomination. There are certainly worse choices, such as Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich, but ideally you would get to vote for someone you like rather than the lesser of all evils.

Here’s one of my problems with Michele Bachmann: She criticized Mitt Romney for not signing the Susan B. Anthony List’s anti-abortion pledge. Here’s her rationale for the criticism:

“It is distressing that Governor Romney refuses to sign the SBA Pledge, even while claiming to be pro-life. The excuses for not signing clearly continue the doubts about his leadership and commitment to ending the practice of abortion – particularly for a candidate who ran as pro-choice for the Senate and Governorship of Massachusetts. Any Presidential candidate seeking our party’s nomination should sign the SBA Pledge and vow to protect life from conception to natural death. Governor Romney should reconsider his decision not to sign the Pledge just as he reconsidered his position on the life issue during the last campaign.”

» read more

It’s official: Ron Paul is running for President in 2012!

Ron Paul will run for President in 2012.

There are several Republicans who might run for President in 2012. There are some, like Newt Gingrich, that I could see myself voting for, while there are others, such as Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney, that I wouldn’t vote for in a million years. With that said, there is only one candidate whose honesty is unquestioned, and whose views on limited government developed from well-researched, strongly held beliefs, not because it was the hot idea of the moment. That candidate is Ron Paul.

Today, Ron Paul announced that he will run for President in 2012. Now, Americans are assured of at least one candidate who truly understands the Constitution, and will put forth a unified plan, rather than some hodge podge of ideas grounded in the polling data.

My only concern with Ron Paul is the probability that he will run as a Republican. Getting by some of the establishment names will be difficult, especially for those who don’t fully understand or appreciate his libertarian views. Ideally, I’d like to see Ron Paul run as an independent. With his built in following, he would surely have enough support to assure himself a spot in the Presidential debates against the Democrat and Republican candidates. Once those who are unfamiliar with Ron Paul had the opportunity to hear his idea, I have no doubt that his popularity would skyrocket. Unfortunately, an independent run doesn’t seem likely.

It’s my hope that conservatives and Tea Party members realize that Ron Paul truly believes in limited government, unlike those who merely parrot the group’s talking points.

The feds shouldn’t infringe on your liberty, that’s the states’ job!

Mitt Romney doesn't think the federal government should infringe on your rights, he thinks that's up to the individual states!

After watching Mitt Romney try to explain why Romneycare and Obamacare are different, I’m left with a question. Is Mitt Romney a liar, or does he just not get it? By “it” I mean small government.

To hear Romney explain it, Romneycare and Obamacare are nothing alike. Of course, any literate person can see that they are nearly identical. Later on, he says that one of the big differences is that Romneycare was a state solution, and was not pushed on the states by the Federal Government. I will give him that point, but still, his argument is lacking. » read more

Hey Mitt! Do you remember Romneycare?

Does Mitt Romney forget about Romneycare?

Mitt Romney gave a policy speech on healthcare today, and not surprisingly, he criticized Obamacare. I don’t disagree with his views on Obamacare, but could someone remind him that he did a similar thing at the state level while he was Governor of Massachusetts. Romneycare, anyone?

I strongly agree with his speech’s focus on allowing states latitude to make decisions, portability, and free market solutions. Unfortunately, when he was in charge, he went the big government rout. Mitt has no street cred.

Mitt Romney is throwing stones from his glass house

Mitt Romney criticizes Obamacare, but loves Romney care

I find former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney to be an insincere, disingenuous person who will say anything to get elected. Basically, I don’t trust a word he says. With that said, I was surprised to see this quote from Romney:

While other possible candidates talked about repealing healthcare in their CPAC speeches, Romney barely mentioned it.

It came up when he accused Obama and “liberals” of looking to “European solutions” to the economic crisis by increasing government spending and moving for a “takeover” of healthcare.

“It does not work there and it will never work here,” Romney said. “We are an exceptional land.”

» read more

Who’s better than Sarah Palin? Lots and lots of people…

Sarah Palin in 2012? Let's hope not.

What do Ron Paul, Haley Barbour, Bobby Jindal, Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney all have in common? They are all Republicans who will likely run or consider running for President, and they are all more intelligent and experienced than a certain former Alaskan Governor.

To many people in the Republican Party, it has almost become blasphemous to criticize Sarah Palin. Some consider this darling of the Tea Party movement to be one of the leading contenders for the Presidential nomination in 2012. If you’re one of these people, please get a reality check. Nominating Sarah Palin is the best way to guarantee a second term for Barack Obama. » read more